


Choices

by AndiMackmeetsHeathers



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: A little angst, M/M, No Tira, TJ defends Cyrus, gym fic, just Kira being mean, kind of cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-28 22:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20071360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndiMackmeetsHeathers/pseuds/AndiMackmeetsHeathers
Summary: Kira invites herself to the gym with TJ, but it backfires on her and all the kids hate her."This is Kira, my-"TJ hesitated, reluctant to call Kira his friend."Special friend. His girlfriend." Kira cut in.The children all looked puzzled."I thought Cyrus was his boyfriend.""Yeah. He always talks about his 'adorable little underdog'. They're in love.""Don't be stupid. Boys can't like boys like that!""Yes they can, Kira. Cyrus told us that they can!""You're horrible. Cyrus is much nicer than you are!""Where's Cyrus?"Yeah, where's Cyrus? We want him back!""Yes, I do have choices, Kira, and the worst one I've ever made is deciding to choose you over him that day. Cyrus is the best person I know, and undoubtedly a better person than you'll ever be."





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a fic I wrote about a post I saw on Twitter, basically wondering what would happen if Kira went to work with TJ and saying the kids would hate him, so I thought I would write it. Sorry if it isn't brilliant or just too long, but enjoy it anyway!

"Hey, TJ, where are you going?" 

TJ rubbed his hand over his face wearily. Couldn't this whole conversation just be over with already? 

"Kira, I told you I had to go to work at two. It's quarter to two now. I have to go." 

TJ had spent the last two torturous hours playing basketball at the courts with Kira. She'd put his hood up, which he'd hated. She'd even bet him he couldn't give her a piggy back ride, which promptly caused TJ to become aggravated enough to attempt to prove her wrong. She really liked to take advantage of his competitive nature, for some reason. 

He didn't expect her to jump on his back whilst he was dribbling the ball. It definitely took him by surprise, to say the least. A blaze of irritation had shot through TJ at the knowledge that the person on his back wasn't Cyrus, but Kira instead. Why couldn't she just get off his back already? 

Despite this thought, reluctantly resigned himself to the fact that he had to let it slide.

He couldn't break their little deal. 

He was fully aware of what the consequences were if he did.

So, he carried on talking to her about basketball and practicing with her. Sure, she could be fun, sometimes, but at other times she was an absolute pain in the neck. 

Like right now, for example.

Kira's face dropped, before lighting up again. 

"Take me to your work." 

"I don't think they'll let you, sorry." 

That was a blatant lie. Let Kira accompany him to the gym? Hell no. TJ wasn't letting Satan get to his other safe place, too. Not after she tarnished his memories of the swings. Definitely not. 

Kira had other plans, however.

"Aw, why not? It'll be fun! Besides, you work in a kid's gym, right?" 

"Right!" 

"I'm really athletic. I'd be good at it." 

But...." TJ trailed off with a deep sigh.

Kira placed her hands on her hips challengingly.

"But what, TJ?" 

But, it's a safe place for me away from you and how you tore me and my crush apart. A place that I don't want to be ruined, TJ thought to himself.

But, it's a place full of kids who will be honest if they don't like you, and then you'll get offended when they tell you that. 

But, it's the place where mine and Cyrus' inside joke for Costume Day originated from. It's where I helped him learn a somersault. And you already ruined Costume Day, and my relationship with Cyrus. Why would you want to ruin this, too?

There was a million reasons why, and no way that TJ would vocalise them out loud. 

Upon seeing TJ's hesitation, Kira gave TJ a smug look, her signature self-satisfied expression resting on her face and taunting him. 

"See. Knew you couldn't make up excuses for that one." 

TJ simply stared at Kira in utter disbelief. Was this girl for real? Why did she never just take 'no' for an answer?

Kira tugged TJ's arm.

"Hurry up, now." Kira instructed him sweetly. "Wouldn't want to be late for work, would we?" 

Apprehensively, TJ followed Kira to the gym, regretting his decision. 

Even if it had meant Cyrus discovered TJ's sexuality, TJ would still take it back. He could trust Cyrus and, to be honest, spending so much time away from the guy was killing him inside. 

Why was TJ so goddamn stupid? Why couldn't he turn back time and make a different decision? 

Why couldn't everything with Cyrus just go back to normal? 

"A penny for your thoughts?" 

TJ shrugged.

"Too bad I don't have a cent on me." 

Kira nudged him.

"That was funny. Seriously though, what's on your mind?" 

As if he'd ever open up to her. Cyrus was still the only person he could talk to like this, and always would be.

"Nothing much." 

Which really meant 'the person who means everything to me'. 

Ha. Kira would be salty that his secret crush wasn't on her. 

Too bad.

That wasn't going to change any time soon.

"Is this it?" Kira asked, pointing to the sign on the door. 

TJ winced, his train of thoughts interrupted all of a sudden. 

"Well, yes, but-" 

"Great!" 

Kira went to open the door. TJ moved in front of the door to stop her.

Kira gave him a funny look. 

"What the hell, TJ?"

"Just wait. I don't even know if they will allow you in or not." 

Kira smirked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. The kids will love me." 

TJ nearly laughed out loud. In what world would they love her? 

"Maybe when hell freezes over." TJ muttered.

Kira frowned.

"What was that, sorry?" 

TJ was certain that would be the only time he'd ever hear Kira use the word 'sorry' in her life.

"I said, I'd better hurry up in opening, or we'll both freeze over." 

"TJ, it's really warm outside." 

"Can you not feel a chill? I can feel a chill." 

Or perhaps it was just Kira and her icy presence.

Kira shrugged, slightly perplexed. TJ took a deep breath, knowing the kids he worked with wouldn't like this. 

"What are you waiting for? Go on!" Kira encouraged.

TJ sighed and opened up the door, forcing a fake smile on to his face for the benefit of the young gymnasts he was working with. Well, at least they made him genuinely happy. Unlike Kira.

"Teeejayyyyy!" Mikey, a five year old boy with dark hair, yelled, barrelling into TJ's stomach. 

Several others followed suit. 

"Oof!" TJ yelled upon impact. "Hi, guys! I've brought someone along with me today." 

"Is it Cyrus?" Ally, a red haired girl with freckles and bright eyes, asked inquisitively. 

TJ bit his lip, nervously.

"No, it's-" 

"Who's she?" One of the kids asked, pointing at Kira and staring. 

Kira flicked her hair back proudly with a smile before she waved at them. 

"Hi, everybody!" 

TJ stepped forward, detached from the children, and introduced Kira to the curious group.

"This is Kira, my-" 

TJ hesitated, reluctant to call Kira his friend.

"Special friend. His girlfriend." Kira cut in smoothly. 

The children all looked puzzled.

TJ scowled at her.

"She's not-" 

One of the children interrupted him before he could explain.

"I thought Cyrus was his boyfriend." 

The others around him nodded in agreement, backing his point up.

"Yeah, he always talks about his 'adorable little underdog'. They're in love." 

TJ turned red. 

"Children's imaginations. They get carried away with them, I swear." 

The kids persisted.

"How can you have a boyfriend and a girlfriend at the same time?" 

"He doesn't. It's just him and Cyrus, silly."

Kira frowned.

"Don't be stupid. Boys can't like boys like that." 

"Yes, they can, Kira. Cyrus told us that they can!"

Kira raised her eyebrows. Why was she surprised? It was so typical of Cyrus Goodman to say something like that and confuse these innocent little children. 

"Did he, now?" 

The kids nodded.

"Well, I'm not Cyrus, am I?" 

"Don't we all know it?" TJ muttered under his breath , before clearing his throat and speaking more loudly.

"Yes, he did. And there's nothing wrong with that, becuase he's right." TJ explained, shifting the balance of the child he was holding from one side to another. "But Cyrus and I aren't dating."

"So, are you and Kira dating?" 

TJ pulled a face and spoke his answer at the same time Kira said hers.

"No." 

"Yes." 

TJ glared at Kira.

"No. Definitely not." 

TJ put the little girl in his arms (who'd insisted on being picked up) down.

"But you're not dating Cyrus? I thought you said you loved his chocolate brown eyes because you could melt in them." 

"Oh, yeah. And you said he was beautiful, inside and out." 

"You called him the nicest person ever and when he was here, you wouldn't stop looking at him and kept flirting with him and blushing." 

"I did not!" 

"Yes, you did, we saw you!"

"And once when you were doing the register, you wrote TJ Goodman-Kippen on the register." 

You had to admit, TJ Goodman-Kippen had a nice little ring to it, though. 

Then TJ saw Kira's face, her jaw practically on the floor. 

"I did not!" TJ spluttered, defensively.

"Yes, you did! And once you were like 'Cyrus is coming, does my hair look alright? Don't tell him what I've said about him, he won't talk to me anymore, so we haven't." 

"Yet you told Kira." TJ pointed out, annoyance flashing in his eyes. 

He shook his head and tried to calm himself down. 

"Whatever. Why don't you guys show Kira your cartwheels?"

Enthusiastically, the young children obliged. TJ grinned, proud of them. They were like younger siblings to him, so he was happy they had achieved so much in his time there. TJ clapped. 

"Well done, guys, that's great!" 

Kira raised an eyebrow, her arms folded, completely unimpressed. 

"Seriously?" Kira sneered. "Is that all you're able to do? I could do way more than that when I was six." 

"Does it matter?" TJ challenged. 

"Prove it!" Brooke, a red haired little girl, insisted. 

Kira smirked.

"Fine. If you insist."

That being said, Kira began showing off, doing elaborate flips, turns, twists and more. 

"Okay. We get it, Kira. You're brilliant at gymnastics." TJ told Kira, punctuating his sentence with a roll of his eyes. 

Kira put a hand on her chest with a wink at TJ. 

"Thanks, Teej. Talent like that can't be taught." 

"So, you're saying none of us will never be that good?" 

Kira shrugged, looking oddly proud of herself.

"I guess I am, yes." 

All twenty of the children looked horrified. TJ's eyes widened. He was suddenly very glad his boss was off today, otherwise he'd be fired pretty quickly.

"Cyrus told us we can achieve whatever we want." 

"TJ agreed with him." 

"And Cyrus added we can work hard and reach for the stars! We can achieve it!" 

"Exactly!" 

A chorus of murmurs backed them up.

"And, again, Cyrus was right." TJ reasoned. "You can be just as talented as Kira, if not better, if you try hard enough. That being said, let's go!"

Mikey called TJ over to ask for help. TJ rushed over instantly, unfortunately leaving Kira in charge of several children (about half of them were working independently). 

"Kira?" 

"Yes?" 

"Can you help me, please?" 

"Why should I? I don't work here." 

"But I need to know how to get over this and jump off safely. I need you to catch me." 

"Yeah, no thanks. Besides, can't you do that trick already? That's pathetic." 

The boy in question, who was only five years old, burst out into tears.

The other children surrounded Kira instantly.

"That's mean. Why are you being a meanie?" 

"You're horrible. Cyrus is much nicer than you are!" 

"Where's Cyrus?" 

"Yeah, where's Cyrus? We want him back!" 

"He is friendly and encouraging, unlike you!" 

"We'll catch you, Sam!" 

Sam sniffed.

"Really?" 

"Of course!" 

"Thanks, Atlas!" 

"Atlas? What a funny name!" Kira laughed. 

The kids just glared at her, before positioning themselves and catching Sam, successfully.

Sam was still distraught at the insult, however, and TJ noticed, coming over to investigate. 

"What's going on here, then?" 

"TJ, she called Sam pathetic." 

"No, I didn't!" 

"Yes, you did!" 

"I said it was pathetic that he couldn't perform a simple backflip. There's a difference, you know." 

"Kira, that's enough." TJ instructed. "You shouldn't have said that to him. That's hurtful. He's only five." 

TJ hugged Sam.

"You're not pathetic." TJ turned to Kira. "Kira, run and get some tissues from the toilets over there, and we'll have some stern words when I get back."

"Ooooooohh." Approximately a dozen kids murmured, the way they always did when they knew that somebody was in trouble. 

Kira obeyed, albeit reluctantly. 

As Kira shuffled off, TJ gave them all a bit of advice.

"She's a bit of a meanie. You shouldn't listen to her when she says these things; they're not true." 

"She also called my name funny." 

"She did? I'm sorry, Atlas. It isn't. It's a lovely name. She's just not nice, sometimes. That's all." 

"Why did you invite her if she isn't nice?" 

TJ sighed. 

"She insisted on joining me. I had no choice, really. I would invite Cyrus, but-" 

TJ found himself tearing up. 

"But what, TJ?" 

"But, we're not as close as we used to be after I made a stupid, poor choice." 

"Because of Kira?" 

TJ's eyes widened in surprise. He'd honestly forgotten how perceptive kids could be. 

"Yes. I'll try to get him back, but unfortunately, I can't guarantee anything." 

"Why not?" 

"He's upset with me. I don't blame him. I'm upset with myself, too. I'll find a way though." 

"You promise?" 

TJ stared at their hopeful faces and decided to be nice about if.

"I promise." 

"You've gotta pinky swear." 

TJ chuckled, lightly. 

"I pinky swear." 

He connected his pinky with Atlas and with everybody he could, until Kira arrived.

"Got them!" 

"That took you a while." 

"That doesn't sound like a complaint." 

"Oh, it wasn't. We were fine, just chatting without you." 

Kira punched TJ in the shoulder. 

"Oh, TJ. You're really funny, sometimes. " 

TJ crossed his arms.

"I didn't mean to be." 

Kira's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" 

"Don't act like that." 

"Act like what?" 

"Stop it. You know what I mean. All naïve and innocent. Look, I wasn't trying to be funny, alright? I meant it." 

The atmosphere was so icy, it felt like a new arctic age. 

"Kids, why don't you get the new hula hoops and beanie bags out the cupboard to play with? I need to have a word with Kira." 

The kids ran to the cupboards excitedly, temporarily distracted. TJ took Kira outside.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at, Kira?" TJ hissed, his voice low. "This isn't a game, you know." 

"I don't know what you mean." Kira responded airily, batting her eyelashes. 

"Stop that! You know exactly what I mean! Firstly, you insult their performances, before insisting that you're more talented than them-" 

"Aren't I?" 

"Shut up, I haven't finished yet. And not necessarily, no. After that, you insult poor Sam and make him feel bad for not being able to do a backflip at the age of five. Five, Kira! Five! Not everybody is as athletic as you are." 

"I'll take that as a compliment." Kira cut in, flirtily. 

"Please don't. Anyway, everybody has different talents and different abilities at different times. And, you know what? That's fine. Take Cyrus. He couldn't do a somersault, so I taught him that here." 

"Oh, your inside joke-" 

"Is based off that. Correct." 

"I didn't know." 

"That's why they call it an inside joke. My point is, not everyone is like you. Atlas is an interesting name, not a weird one. I know All a bit unique and quirky names, but I'm not getting into that now." 

"Please do. You never told me what TJ stands for." 

"And, frankly, I never will." 

"Why not?"

Kira had the nerve to look genuinely offended.

"Because today, you've proven that I can't trust you. You can't keep acting like that. And your little comment about boys earlier was wrong and you know that. Homophobic, even." 

"Of course, you'd know all about boys who love boys, wouldn't you, Kippen? Judging by what those gymnasts of yours were saying, anyway. And what I've seen. You like him, don't you?" 

"So what if I did?" 

"So, you do?" 

"I meant hypothetically." 

"Sure." 

"I did!" 

"Keep telling yourself that, TJ. Keep telling yourself that." 

"It's none of your business. Stay out of it." 

"You're right, it is none of my business...And if you're not careful, it will be the entire school's business, got it?" 

TJ felt dizzy and nauseated with fear. She wouldn't dare out him to the entire school. 

Would she?

Whag would they say or think? What would they do? Would TJ be bullied? Would be lose his position on the basketball team? Would Cyrus hate him?

The last thought made TJ feel the worst. 

"Got it." TJ responded shakily. "What you're doing is wrong, though, just so you know." 

"I've not done anything wrong." 

"You've done everything wrong!" 

"How?" 

"Just look at today, for example. You're on your last warning, Kira. I'm serious. Don't laugh. I mean it. One more incident, and you're out for good and not coming back. Got it?" 

Kira scowled, but agreed.

"Got it." 

"Good. Now, let's get back in there before those children get injured or bored."

Kira sighed and nodded. TJ frowned.

"Kira, do you even care about what you've done?" 

Kira scowled.

"Like I told you, I haven't done anything wrong." 

TJ groaned but said no more as he opened the door to the gym.

She was a lost cause, at this point. 

"Kira, TJ, come and hula hoop with us!" 

"I don't-" Kira began. TJ nudged her, quite violently.

"See how I could possibly pass up such a fun opportunity." Kira finished, smiling through gritted teeth, and walking forward to take one.

"Are you joining us?" Rowan, one of the taller girls, asked.

"Yeah. Are you joining us, TJ?" Kira asked, with that toxic fake sweetness in her voice. 

TJ shrugged. 

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't usually do this sort of thing." 

"Neither do I." Kira offered. "You can still do it despite that anyway, right?" 

"Pleeeeeaasee." Macey, the little girl whom TJ had picked up earlier, begged. 

TJ caved in. 

"Alright, whatever. I'll join in. No laughing at me, or you'll be in trouble." 

Kira nudged TJ playfully, in what was clearly a flirty manner.

"Even me?" 

"Especially you."

Kira huffed, and it reminded Cyrus of the Big Bad Wolf.

She huffed and she puffed until his relationship with Cyrus Goodman was slightly damaged. 

Sounded about right. 

"You can be no fun at times, Kippen." 

"Better than being a mean person." 

"I'm not mean." 

"Sure. You keep telling yourself that." 

"I'm not!" 

"You can be, and I'm not having this argument with you. Let's just leave it and have some fun." 

Much to TJ's surprise, it turned out that he was actually great at hula hooping. Who knew? 

Kira, naturally, was an expert at this (despite being slightly rusty at it)-but she didn't show off this time. TJ thought she only did it to prove a point and not out of tact, but was relieved regardless.

This was fun. TJ reminded himself that Kira was actually fun, when she wasn't being so mean. The children still didn't like her, all the same. Everyone was giggling and throwing hoops around each other. It was almost like being a young child again.

Almost.

TJ couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, despite his current enjoyment. He thought about Cyrus, about how Cyrus would probably giggle and stumble and TJ would have to teach him how to do it. TJ would love this, of course. Anything for Cyrus. Cyrus would go around piggy backing kids and TJ would ask how to repay him, to which Cyrus would reply by suggesting receiving a piggy back of his own. TJ would happily oblige and TJ would no longer have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Instead, he'd have the weight of his world on his back.

TJ's heart ached with longing.

His daydream was suddenly shattered by the children whining. 

"I'm bored!" 

"Me too!" 

"This is no fun any more!" 

TJ resigned himself to putting away the hula hoops. Kira didn't offer to help him, the way he knew that she wouldn't. 

"Do you want to play with the skipping ropes, now?" 

The general consensus was that most of them did. Others went off to practice different things, with TJ supervising them to prevent injuries. Millie, a small blonde girl, called him for help. 

"TJ?" 

"Yes, sweetie?" 

"Can you please help me to perform a somersault?"

TJ's heart ached even more.

He'd been so proud of Cyrus when he'd done it. The fact that TJ had miraculously helped Cyrus achieve something surprised him, and TJ finally began to see in himself what Cyrus had seen in him this whole time.

Why couldn't Cyrus appear and save him from Kira, already? 

TJ plastered a bright smile on his face.

Smiling through the pain. 

"Sure. I'll come over, now. Kira, play with them." 

Kira smiled. 

"Sure, whatever you want, babe." 

"Don't ever call me babe again unless you want a swift kick to the kneecaps, you understand?" TJ murmured, only loud enough for Kira to hear him. 

TJ didn't want to openly condone violence or encourage it in these innocent children. He'd be responsible for the injuries of somebody else and feel  
guilty about it afterwards. 

Plus, he didn't want to get fired. He loved his job here.

Kira must have felt genuinely threatened by this, because she nodded and kept quiet in an instant. Satisfied, he walked over to Millie and helped her, Kira's eyes following him the entire time. 

"Do you like TJ?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Do you like TJ the way that TJ likes Cyrus?" 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Do you like him as more than a friend and want to date him?" 

"That's none of your business." 

"She does! She does!" 

"I never said that." 

"But you didn't say you didn't like him, which means you must do!" 

"That logic is absolutely ridiculous!" 

Kira thought about the ultimatum she'd presented TJ with: TJ could chose to be with Cyrus, and be outed to the entire school, having his carefully built reputation obliterated in the process, or be with her and be happy. 

Funnily enough, he never seemed happy around her, anyway. 

Who knew why?

Kira wondered briefly whether she just flirted with TJ to get back at Buffy for kicking her off the basketball team through upsetting her best friend, Cyrus (it was obvious that Cyrus liked TJ romantically, too) or whether she had feelings for him. 

It was all so confusing, the very web of perception that she herself had set up. 

Then again, if it wasn't, life would be bland and boring. 

"Kira, this is boring! You're just standing there, not doing anything!"

"Alright. I'll join in." Kira relented. 

The children sang whilst Kira jumped and played jumping games such as criss cross with the little gymnasts. She actually found it really endearing and sweet how they'd do that.

"Wow, you're awesome at this!" One girl commented. 

"I suppose I am, yes." 

"We used to do this with Cyrus, you know." 

Kira sniggered.

"I bet he was really bad at it." 

"He was okay at it, but not as good as you are." Zeke , who looked about eight, supplied. "He used to sing with us. He taught us the swing song and the slide song." 

"What are those?"

"The songs he sang when he met TJ. At the swings, the ones down at the park." 

"Interesting..." 

With that, Kira was introduced to both the swing song and the slide song. Unfortunately for her, they got stuck in her head. They were almost as irritating, in her eyes, as Cyrus Goodman himself was. 

"Let's do something new!" 

Thank God little children only had relatively short attention spans.

Kira let out a sigh of relief.

"Tell us a story!" 

Kira groaned. 

"No. Do I look like a storyteller to you?"

"N-no, what does a story teller even look like?" 

"Does it matter?" 

"No, Kira, I just thought-" 

"No, clearly you didn't think at all. Don't be like that, now." 

"Cyrus used to tell us stories." 

"Am I Cyrus? Seriously, don't look at me like that, answer me. Am I Cyrus Goodman?" 

"Definitely not. He's much friendlier and kinder than you!" 

"That's where you're wrong, kid. He is obnoxious. I'm friendly and kind." 

TJ heard part of the conversation and curled his fists up into a ball, ready to have a go at her.

He had a kid to help. Sighing, TJ turned away and helped her.

"There you go, Millie! You've almost done it! Just give it one more go!" 

Meanwhile, Kira wasn't getting along particularly well with the children she was surrounded by.

"No, you're not. You just turn up and insult everyone and that's mean. Cyrus told us wonderful stories!" 

"Yeah? Like what?" 

"Like about two boys who grew up together as best friends so they went on fun adventures riding dragons and became super cool knights before falling in love and getting married and living happily ever after!" 

"What were they called?" 

"Theo and Simon." 

Kira's eyes narrowed as she realised how they could easily be similar to the names of TJ and Cyrus, given that TJ's name was Theodore under those circumstances.

What other name would warrant the nickname Theo, after all? 

There were none, right? 

Right? 

"That is wrong. He shouldn't be teaching this stuff. It's too complicated for you. You're too young and innocent. It's not proper love anyway, like the love between a girl and a boy." 

"TJ let him, though. He even joined in. And we trust TJ." 

Kira sighed.

"Look, TJ's never usually in his right mind around that boy. That's why I turned up-to save him from embarrassment." 

They staredat Kira in complete bewilderment. 

"Why would he be embarrassed by Cyrus?" 

"Are you kidding me? Have you seen the guy?"

"He's better than you." 

"No, he isn't." 

Kira was really going to lose it, now; you could tell by the tremble in her voice.

"Cyrus-" One kid started. 

Kira had had enough of hearing them talk about Cyrus so much.

"Is a pathetic, wimpy loser who nobody cares about and nobody ever will!" Kira snapped.

That was the final straw.

TJ lost it. 

He stormed over, furiously, all comlsiire completely drained from his face. When he spoke, his voice was thunderous.

"Just who do you think you are, Kira? You can't come here and insult these kids, compare them to yourself, call them weak and pathetic. You can't treat them as though they are thick and deny them any entertainment or care whatsoever! You can't show off and act like you're all this and that when you don't even treat anybody right! At least these kids have morals, which is more than can be said for you!"

"TJ-" 

"No. Don't 'TJ' me! Don't touch me! You don't deserve to be treated well if you don't treat others as such, and clearly, you don't! You've upset these children and poked fun at their talents and interests! You've even messed with their sense of self confidence and self esteem, which is honestly disgusting! You're an awful role model and when it comes to the matter of personality, I hope none of them end up like you!" 

"Let me explain-" 

"No! You don't deserve to be heard out. You've just lost any respect I've ever had for you! You forced yourself here and then ruined my only other safe place, and that hurts more than you'll ever know! Then you don't even own up to the fact they you've done wrong or apologise for your actions or choices because, God forbid Queen Kira ever does something wrong in her life!"

"I did nothing wrong!" 

"Like I told you earlier, you did everything wrong!" 

"That's exaggeration." 

"You've belittled their beliefs, hurt their feelings, and lost my trust! And as if that wasn't enough already, you insulted Cyrus, too! Do you have any idea how much he means to me?" 

Kira shot TJ a death glare.

"I think, if anything, I have more than enough of an idea of how much he means to you." 

TJ's eyes widened in fear. Kira took TJ's silence as an opportunity to carry on.

"Yes, that's right. I know how you feel about him, TJ...wouldn't it be a shame if he found out, somehow? If the whole school did? Ha! Not so bold and confident now, are you?" 

"Kira, manipulating people is not a good way to get what you want." 

"Isn't it? It's certainly an easy way for me with silly little people like you. People who have reputations to uphold, important positions to keep-that they really wouldn't want to lose, I'm sure. People who care a lot what others think of them-insecure people who wonder how society percievs them bases off the decisions they have made. You see, TJ, inherently, it's all about choices. You had two choices in this little ordeal. You still do have choices."

TJ squeezed his eyes shut, a new feeling of strength and bravery washing over him. 

"Yes, I do have choices, Kira, and the worst one I've ever made is deciding to choose you over him that day. Cyrus is the best person I know, and undoubtedly a better person than you'll ever be."

"How could you say that?" 

"I just did. And you know what?" 

"What?" 

"Cyrus never made me choose. You were simply never a part of the equation. Cyrus and I chose each other, the day we met at the swings. And it's always been him. Never you. Him." 

For once, Kira was stunned into silence. Perhaps she realised she'd just been defeated. 

She flicked her hair and attempted nonchalance. 

"You've made your decision, clearly. The choice was yours and it always has been." 

"Exactly. So, leave. And don't ever come back." 

"Okay. Have fun with that. See you around." 

"Hopefully not. Bye!" 

TJ and all the kids waved goodbye to Kira, and the second she had left the door, they cheered. TJ soon accompanied them. 

He stopped, however, when he noticed there was someone at the door. 

And it wasn't just anyone, either. 

It was Cyrus.

TJ moved to the door as fast as lightning. 

"Hey." 

Cyrus was stood there, his eyes wide in surprise. He seems a little nervous, too, although TJ couldn't quite fathom why.

"Hey. I heard everything. It was really brave of you to stand up to her like that. Can I come in?" 

TJ nodded, letting Cyrus in. 

"We need to talk."

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave comments if this made you laugh or even just smile! Have a great day! (:  
Note: if you haven't already, read my AU fic (Marks) if you enjoy my writing. I'm updating it soon and would appreciate the feedback. Thanks!


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